Greatest Musical Entertainer of the 20th Century

[LoraJ]

I would have said the Beatles as well, but the title said Entertainer, so I was not thinking of bands.

 

[HelenePA]

Garth?

Don't get me wrong I like country, as well as him, but as a mainstream artist.....he may have sold x amount, but his artistry is no where near the others listed I don't think.

ETA - I think more along what I am thinking - when did Garth go out on a limb to break barriers, molds, etc? Madonna, EJ, the Beatles, Elvis all went against the grain at some point in a more extreme way.

OMG Garth is AMAZING!!!!! I can NOT wait for him to come back as he has promised!!!

 

[LuvOrlando]

-

 

[VMK_MagicalLadee]

Freddie Mercury.

All the way

 

[SamRoc]

The Beatles. They changed music, with music they created. They wrote their songs and played their own instruments. Before they did it it was unusual for acts to create their own stuff.

They influenced not only mustc, but fashion as well.

IMO, no one comes even close to them, and what they did in the XX century


ETA to add this tribute to them in a Russian town 40 years after they disbanded

I agree with you 100%!!!

 

[figment52]

Frank Sinatra!


I'm a big fan, so I just want to make sure he gets at least one vote!

Of those listed so far this is the one that gets my vote.

 

[MoniqueU]

I hate to admit it but MJ hands down. I even saw him in concert at the height of his career. Everyone was more then jealous of me, it was an incredible experience.

Of all the ones listed so far I LOVE Elton and think he is a great talent and performer.

I wish I never had to hear another Elvis or Beatles song as long as I live.

 

[WaltD4Me]

Elvis.

I'm was a fan of Michael Jackson, I think he deserved his King of Pop title. He was an certainly an icon, but IMHO, I can't see him selling as many records as Elvis is still doing 30 years after his death.

 

[Lanshark]

I don't think anyone surpasses the Beatles combined with McCartney/Lennon careers after the Beatles

 

[Nicolepa]

When I think of who put the whole package together, who could sing, dance, choreograph, put on great shows, etc. then that leaves Elvis, MJ, Madonna, The Beatles

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Cher? I don't think she is top per say but she puts on one heck of a show.

 

[lillygator]

OMG Garth is AMAZING!!!!! I can NOT wait for him to come back as he has promised!!!

come back - with what, a newer woman than TY or his wife??? Surely, not same of the same ole country twangs I grew up with???

I love his music, but his is not in the class the other artists mentioned on this thread are.

 

[HelenePA]

come back - with what, a newer woman than TY or his wife??? Surely, not same of the same ole country twangs I grew up with???

I love his music, but his is not in the class the other artists mentioned on this thread are.

I dont care who he's married to or sleeping with.. I just wanna hear him sing and see him dance again.. AMAZING to see him in person.. Shall we see what other artists on here have been accused of? I'm sure no other married "rock" stars cheated on their wife/husband and got divorced right? You might not think he's in the same class as others listed here but he did a lot of good for country music in the 90's dont ya think?

and TY is his wife.. those two are meant to be together

 

[lillygator]

I dont care who he's married to or sleeping with.. I just wanna hear him sing and see him dance again.. AMAZING to see him in person.. Shall we see what other artists on here have been accused of? I'm sure no other married "rock" stars cheated on their wife/husband and got divorced right? You might not think he's in the same class as others listed here but he did a lot of good for country music in the 90's dont ya think?

and TY is his wife.. those two are meant to be together

seen them both...and NOOOOO COMPARISON...sorry. Garth is a "do" boy, someone shows him what to do on stage and always has.

ETA - they may have been meant together - I am all for that, but at the expense of his "wife" and kids...W/E....this isn't really about that....


he can sing, his is a country artist, puts on a show, but is not in a class with Madonna, EJ, MJ, Elvis, Rolling Stones, etc,

 

[HelenePA]

I liked MJ back in the very early 80's I'm too young to remember anything before then. All I know is what I've seen of him growing up.. most of it was not good stuff. Much worse than cheating on your wife and getting a divorce.. He was a very talented artist but because of what he did or was "accused" of I can not put him in the same group of any of the other people mentioned here in this thread not only Garth.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Another vote for Freddie Mercury.

 

[CowboyCO]

Garth?

Don't get me wrong I like country, as well as him, but as a mainstream artist.....he may have sold x amount, but his artistry is no where near the others listed I don't think.

ETA - I think more along what I am thinking - when did Garth go out on a limb to break barriers, molds, etc? Madonna, EJ, the Beatles, Elvis all went against the grain at some point in a more extreme way.

I thought this was about entertainers? Garth is an amazing entertainer, in addition to a great songwriter. He took country music worldwide. Pop already was worldwide and Michael was certainly the king of a genre universally loved. Country was a niche in the USA until Garth came along. He crossed the lines between country and pop and became the biggest superstar of his time, of any genre. Garth sold-out tours all over the world and did it as a country star.

Michael's music was entertaining, but lyrically not very deep, but in a few instances.. Garth may be best known for "Friends in Low Places", but my favorite songs are reflective, deep and passionate. Songs like the "The Dance", "Unanswered Prayers", "If tomorrow Never comes", "The Beaches of Cheyenne"", etc.

And like Michael, Garth is a total performer. He was a guy that would swing from the rafters and gave 110% to put on a show.

I loved Michael Jackson's songs and videos - He was groundbreaking at the beginning of the MTV craze.

My list of best entertainers?

1. Elvis
2. Garth
3. Michael
4. Billy Joel
5. Elton John
6. Madonna (I don't like her, but you've got to give her props).

I don't include the Beatles because they were a group and individually couldn't meet the standard they had as a collective.

 

[lillygator]

he - Garth - can entertain, so can many - what makes him stand out?

 

[moon]

1. Elvis
2. Garth
3. Michael
4. Billy Joel
5. Elton John
6. Madonna (I don't like her, but you've got to give her props).

I don't include the Beatles because they were a group and individually couldn't meet the standard they had as a collective.

Unless Garth and the others on your list wrote and played all (or even most) of the instruments on their records by themselves, your last statement should apply to them too.

I'm not that familiar with his music, so I looked up and his hits were written by two, three and even four people. I have no idea how much of the music on his records was by played him. With those "solo" artists it's more of a group effort, the difference is that the rest of the people involved get much less recognition -if any.

So even if they were a group, the work on records and live shows that either Lennon or McCartney each did by themselves amounts to much more than what any other on your list did (except maybe for EJ and BJ, who also were songwitwers and played piano on all of ther records)

 

[HelenePA]

he - Garth - can entertain, so can many - what makes him stand out?

His energy, his enthusiasm, his songs.. He aint too bad looking for a older guy either he said he learned from the best who in his opinion was Chris LeDoux and George Strait. I've never seen either in concert and will never have the option to do that with Chris since he passed away but I like Georges music but he just doesn't have the same umph as Garth maybe he's different live I honestly dont know.

 

[Sir Robin Hood]

If we're talking about just musical entertainers of the 20th century, then definitely Michael Jackson and Elvis tie for top spot in my book. But for entertainers overall, and not solely music, I'd have to say that Walt Disney left the biggest footprint in the entertainment world for the 20th century.